WTC Final: Australia 73/2 at lunch on opening day

London: Marnus Labuschagne held the fort with a dogged 26 not out as Australia were 73 for two at lunch on the opening day of their World Test Championship Final against India here on Wednesday.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj gave India a perfect start when he dismissed the in-form Usman Khawaja for a duck in the fourth over.

But thereafter, the Australians frustrated the Indians as David Warner made a brisk 60-ball 43 in a 69-run partnership with Labuschagne.

Playing his first Test since the one-off match at Edgbaston last year, Shardul Thakur dismissed Warner.

After that, Labuschagne (26 batting) held the fort Australia going into the lunch break.

India have left out the world’s top-ranked Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin and decided to bowl first in the World Test Championship Final against Australia. Both teams wore black armbands as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the tragic train accident in Odisha.

Brief Scores: India: 73 for 2 in 23 overs (David Warner 43, Marnus Labuschagne 26 batting; Mohammed Siraj 1/16, Shardul Thakur 1/16).